The Spring of 2014 is the 5th semester we have studied Education at Houston Baptist University. This semester stated hard on the heels of our comprehensives. For weeks we had studied for five essays. After the comps, not one of us wanted to study, write, research, or contemplate education or psychology. By the fourth week, we faced midterms and spring-break. That was a sobering time. Yet we each buckled down, pulled together encouraging each other to persevere. I found my stride with the unit plan.
This semester was a special time for us students. We were able to apply praxis. On the one hand we discussed theory while on the other hand we applied a tight grip to the practical by coaching three of our colleges.
This penultimate semester to our graduation, brought us to a point where as students we had to mentally apply ourselves to curriculum design. Focusing on student understanding, we designed a unit plan rich in technology and diversity. After a brief introduction to Instructional Coaching (IC), we selected three teachers from our schools to to support.
Standard I: The Master Technology Teacher effectively models and applies classroom teaching methodology and curriculum models that promote active student learning through the integration of technology and addresses the varied learning needs of all students.
Standard II: The Master Technology Teacher selects and administers appropriate technology-related assessments on an ongoing basis and uses the results to design and improve instruction.
Standard III: The Master Technology Teacher applies knowledge of digital learning competencies including Internet research, graphics, animation, website mastering and video technology.
Standard IV: The Master Technology Teacher serves as a resource regarding the integration of assisted technologies and accessible design concepts to meet the needs of all students.
Standard V: The Master Technology Teacher facilitates appropriate, research-based technology instruction by communicating and collaborating with educational stakeholders; mentoring, coaching and consulting with colleagues; providing professional development opportunities for faculty; and making decisions based on converging evidence from research.
This semester was a special time for us students. We were able to apply praxis. On the one hand we discussed theory while on the other hand we applied a tight grip to the practical by coaching three of our colleges.
This penultimate semester to our graduation, brought us to a point where as students we had to mentally apply ourselves to curriculum design. Focusing on student understanding, we designed a unit plan rich in technology and diversity. After a brief introduction to Instructional Coaching (IC), we selected three teachers from our schools to to support.
Standard I: The Master Technology Teacher effectively models and applies classroom teaching methodology and curriculum models that promote active student learning through the integration of technology and addresses the varied learning needs of all students.
Standard II: The Master Technology Teacher selects and administers appropriate technology-related assessments on an ongoing basis and uses the results to design and improve instruction.
Standard III: The Master Technology Teacher applies knowledge of digital learning competencies including Internet research, graphics, animation, website mastering and video technology.
Standard IV: The Master Technology Teacher serves as a resource regarding the integration of assisted technologies and accessible design concepts to meet the needs of all students.
Standard V: The Master Technology Teacher facilitates appropriate, research-based technology instruction by communicating and collaborating with educational stakeholders; mentoring, coaching and consulting with colleagues; providing professional development opportunities for faculty; and making decisions based on converging evidence from research.
This is a listing of tools and the artifacts they created in support of the Texas Master Technology Teacher Standards as they were employed during the Spring of 2014.
Standard |
Artifact |
Supporting Comments |
Standard 1
The Master Technology Teacher effectively models and applies classroom teaching methodology and curriculum models that promote active student learning through the integration of technology and addresses the varied learning needs of all student |
This unit plan is designed with the goal in mind from the start. Stage 1 has the unit's teaching goals. Stage 2 has essential questions and declares what skills and knowledge will be acquired. Stage 3 has the day to day assignments, assessments and projects listed. |
Standard 2
The Master Technology Teacher selects and administers appropriate technology-related assessments on an ongoing basis and uses the results to design and improve instruction. |
Standard 3
The Master Technology Teacher applies knowledge of digital learning competencies including Internet research, graphics, animation, website mastering and video technology. |
I delivered to informative training sessions. One on Evernote at the annual symposium on education at HBU and SpicyNodes at the ROBS Classrooms. |
Deliverables included a slide show and a handout. The handouts included QR codes leading to assessment questions and text explaining the pedagogical relevance and installation tips. Evernote slide show, Evernote Handout, SpicyNodes Slides, Spicynodes handout. |
Standard 4
The Master Technology Teacher serves as a resource regarding the integration of assisted technologies and accessible design concepts to meet the needs of all students. |
Standard 5
The Master Technology Teacher facilitates appropriate, research-based technology instruction by communicating and collaborating with educational stakeholders; mentoring, coaching and consulting with colleagues; providing professional development opportunities for faculty; and making decisions based on converging evidence from research. |
I trace the significance of coaching as a professional development practice for the modern era. Show one, share doing one, and be observed doing one. The seven stage coaching model helps teachers to be trained on technologies just in time to use them in their classes. |
EDUC 5305 Technology Enhanced Design with Dr. Dawn Wilson.
The Instructional Coaching project is the culminating achievement for the past year and a half. Using our recently acquired skills and knowledge we actively coached three teachers each. Our goal was to help each teacher learn to apply a new Web 2.0 technology in there classes. For me this was an amazing assignment. I worked with three Spanish 1 teachers. We passed through the now common framework of enrolling the teachers, asking them to tell where they needed help. This part I enjoyed, it was like a mystery to solve. Only I needed to pin a technology to need. How can you reinforce vocabulary lessons after having used the text book, interactive website (publisher), language lab practice, and in class exercises? Try a fast passed game like Kahoot.it. Its easy to setup and as challenging as it is entertaining. That was just one of the 9 mysteries I solved.
I also found time to deliver two lessons on Web 2.0 technologies. My favorite EVERNOTE (R) and a usefully thinking tool called SPICYNODES. Evernote is my favorite note taking tool. I can use it from my iPhone, iPad, Win 8 Tablet, Android Tablet, and Mac Desktop. My notes go from local device to cloud storage. I can tab notes, organize into notebooks and share with colleagues. That lesson was a labor of love. As always, I learned far more than I had expected. I learned from the three teachers I coached and from the two classes I taught. Doing the research on the IC project convinced me that I really like thumbing through research projects and assembling new ideas about teaching from research data. Analyzing and Synthesizing are tasks in Higher Level Thinking (HLT) that I enjoy praxis.
The Instructional Coaching project is the culminating achievement for the past year and a half. Using our recently acquired skills and knowledge we actively coached three teachers each. Our goal was to help each teacher learn to apply a new Web 2.0 technology in there classes. For me this was an amazing assignment. I worked with three Spanish 1 teachers. We passed through the now common framework of enrolling the teachers, asking them to tell where they needed help. This part I enjoyed, it was like a mystery to solve. Only I needed to pin a technology to need. How can you reinforce vocabulary lessons after having used the text book, interactive website (publisher), language lab practice, and in class exercises? Try a fast passed game like Kahoot.it. Its easy to setup and as challenging as it is entertaining. That was just one of the 9 mysteries I solved.
I also found time to deliver two lessons on Web 2.0 technologies. My favorite EVERNOTE (R) and a usefully thinking tool called SPICYNODES. Evernote is my favorite note taking tool. I can use it from my iPhone, iPad, Win 8 Tablet, Android Tablet, and Mac Desktop. My notes go from local device to cloud storage. I can tab notes, organize into notebooks and share with colleagues. That lesson was a labor of love. As always, I learned far more than I had expected. I learned from the three teachers I coached and from the two classes I taught. Doing the research on the IC project convinced me that I really like thumbing through research projects and assembling new ideas about teaching from research data. Analyzing and Synthesizing are tasks in Higher Level Thinking (HLT) that I enjoy praxis.
EDUC 6322 Curriculum and Instruction: Grades k-12 with Dr.Julia Janz
Like my cat waking up, Understanding by Design was invigorating. The concept of beginning with the end in mind is a mantra at the school where I work. The backward design process lets one be assured the TEKS are met and the assessments are identified if not waiting on the computer. In the past, I had not spent much thought on the difference between skills that need practice and proficiency and the content knowledge that needs mastery as opposed to exposure. This course anchors one in the discipline of applying thought to every lesson to be taught. If these practices are applied diligently, a respect for the knowledge develops and the mechanics that can be used to teach are seen in terms of which methods nurture your student's understanding based on their learning styles, the content or skill, and the teachers resources.
By looking for a tool to yield a specific student outcome, I learned to be a better teacher and a better coach for teachers. I now approach Web 2.0 tools, installed apps, mobile devices and classroom technologies as methods to encourage student thought or activity.
From the two journal studies i gained insight on a new idea. I hope to find a way to build student grit and persistence by employing research oriented classes to teach content knowledge by engaging student interest through the student created content used to fill and revise wiki, blog or webquest. During the research,I read a graduate student's remarks that said he was forced to learn more information than that typically taught in a course, in order to craft effective research questions. Anyway, that's beyond the scope of this class.
Like my cat waking up, Understanding by Design was invigorating. The concept of beginning with the end in mind is a mantra at the school where I work. The backward design process lets one be assured the TEKS are met and the assessments are identified if not waiting on the computer. In the past, I had not spent much thought on the difference between skills that need practice and proficiency and the content knowledge that needs mastery as opposed to exposure. This course anchors one in the discipline of applying thought to every lesson to be taught. If these practices are applied diligently, a respect for the knowledge develops and the mechanics that can be used to teach are seen in terms of which methods nurture your student's understanding based on their learning styles, the content or skill, and the teachers resources.
By looking for a tool to yield a specific student outcome, I learned to be a better teacher and a better coach for teachers. I now approach Web 2.0 tools, installed apps, mobile devices and classroom technologies as methods to encourage student thought or activity.
From the two journal studies i gained insight on a new idea. I hope to find a way to build student grit and persistence by employing research oriented classes to teach content knowledge by engaging student interest through the student created content used to fill and revise wiki, blog or webquest. During the research,I read a graduate student's remarks that said he was forced to learn more information than that typically taught in a course, in order to craft effective research questions. Anyway, that's beyond the scope of this class.